Reviews

The premise of the story is quite intriguing....

This was the second ever k-drama I ever watched and it was just great in my books.
Refreshing plotlines from what I'm used to, and how I began to continue discovering the Korean culture in general.
I love the leads especially Lee Hyeri's acting.... she has me hooked from the first episode. Her facial expressions are just so spot on.
I recommend giving this a watch 💯
Asides the fact that the leads are absolutely gorgeous, their chemistry was very relatable and palpable.
There was just something about Jang Ki-yong that just draws you in, I really can't explain it, his acting was not all that but he acted very sincerely...
The supporting cast were amazing too.

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Heterosexism in disguise

"Love in Disguise" represents everything wrong with heterosexist storytelling. The production exploits the outward appearance of male-male intimacy without ever permitting that intimacy to materialize into an actual male-male/gay relationship. A woman's masculine disguise becomes the convenient narrative contrivance through which "straightness" is maintained

This is neither progressive nor subversive; rather, it exposes the homophobic attitudes that continue to permeate society. Society appears far more comfortable with unconventional gender performances than with the normalization of same-sex intimacy. In other words, gender nonconformity is permissible only within the confines of "straight" orthodoxy

I'd much prefer gay storytelling to this pitiful attempt at gender subversion

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kisskh scores can be highly deceptive.

Honestly, I won't go into too much detail. You just have to watch it to understand.

I started this K-drama on a bit of a whim. When I saw its 7.7 rating on kisskh, I assumed it was probably just another decent K-drama, nothing particularly special. And honestly, I'm so glad I didn't let that rating influence my decision. I went into it without any preconceived notions, with very low expectations, if anything, expecting something rather average.

What a surprise. What a punch to the heart!

If the themes explored in this drama resonate with you, then you're in for a treat. I absolutely loved the way these topics were handled. I laughed, cried, felt disappointed, frustrated, confused... I went through pretty much every possible emotion while watching this drama.

I genuinely think this is the kind of series that can receive wildly different ratings depending on the viewer. If the themes don't resonate with you, your experience will probably be very different from mine. Personally, I chose to watch one episode a day. It became my little evening ritual, something I genuinely looked forward to. I took my time enjoying every episode, and I stayed invested until the very end, savoring every last drop.

I also really appreciated the inclusion of the second theme explored in this drama. I found it quite unusual, and that's precisely what gives the story its own identity. It's an aspect I particularly enjoyed and one that made the whole experience even more interesting.

As for the cast, they were absolutely fantastic. I really appreciate the fact that the story doesn't take place in Seoul, as is so often the case with K-dramas, and that the female lead has a distinct regional accent. As a European who's mostly used to hearing the Seoul accent in Korean productions, I found that it added so much charm and gave the story an extra layer of authenticity.

I'm already a big fan of Hwang In Youp, and I had the pleasure of discovering Lee Hye Ri through this drama. She genuinely impressed me. Both of them did a wonderful job bringing their characters to life and deserve all the praise.

However, I especially want to highlight the supporting cast, whom I found absolutely outstanding. This was something that really stood out to me. I loved discovering some of these new faces, particularly the young boy who walks alongside the grandmother. I genuinely appreciated his performance.

What makes it even more special is that we're not necessarily talking about extraordinary scenes or spectacular moments. Sometimes, it's just ordinary everyday situations, little moments that might seem insignificant at first glance. And yet, these actors manage to convey so much emotion that I genuinely felt connected to their characters. At certain moments, I almost felt like I was sharing their everyday lives with them. And that's no small achievement.

Another huge highlight for me was the music. I'm still blown away by the sheer musical diversity in this drama. IT'S REALLY, REALLY THAT GOOD! The OSTs are exceptional, varied, and perfectly suited to each moment. You never get the feeling that you're listening to the same thing over and over again. Every scene has its own musical identity, and it works beautifully. This is exactly the kind of musical direction that can elevate a scene and give it an entirely different emotional depth. Huge respect for that.

But if there's one aspect I consider to be the drama's greatest strength, it's the direction.

Absolutely incredible. There's something about the way the scenes are shot, the framing, the overall atmosphere, and the way emotions are translated visually that I find absolutely brilliant. I honestly wouldn't know how to explain it properly, but I completely fell in love with this approach. It's different, refreshing, and gives the drama a very distinctive visual identity.

I genuinely think this is the kind of directing that can divide viewers. Either you connect with it, or you completely miss the appeal. Personally, I loved it. I'm absolutely obsessed with it!

Ultimately, I'm genuinely glad I started this K-drama without any particular expectations and, most importantly, without letting its rating influence me. This is exactly the kind of discovery that reminds me why I love watching dramas so much. Sometimes, we can miss out on real gems simply because we put too much faith in ratings or other people's opinions.

Seriously, thank you, Rachel Eunbea Chung and Yoo Seon Dong

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means well but the politics are a mixed bag

My review is probably going to be a bit harsh so I do want to start off saying that I overall had a nice time w this! It's probably not something I will revisit, but I still rank it above a lot of other CDramas I've watched and I really enjoyed Gong Jun in this.

So, firstly, I should probably say I don't fully understand the central conflict of this story: that Shen Xiezhi and Qin Rui can't date bc their jobs. I understand that if they are working in the same area of law that there's the potential for them being assigned the same case which would obviously be a conflict of interest, but if that ever happened couldn't Xiezhi just recuse himself and someone else get assigned as the judge? Bc if that's still not allowed, then are friendships between judges and lawyers in the same field being scrutinized like this too? Bc that could also become a conflict of interest p easily. But whatever, the story needed a conflict of why they couldn't date and this was all the writers had after the fire akjshdfakjsdf. Ok.

That said, I liked their dynamic. They worked together really, really well and I love how once they got over the initial dislike of each other, they were on the same wavelength when it came to trying to ensure the best possible outcome for all parties involved. It was also lovely seeing how much Xiezhi changed over the course of the show — how he wouldn't even accept food from Qin Rui at the start bc that would be crossing the boundaries of judge-lawyer, but then as they grow closer he's buying her a 6 month flying pass to allow her to visit her grandmother. And don't get me started on the last few episodes, omg, there was a sequence where Qin Rui was sitting outside the courthouse and Xiezhi saw her and was overcome w this need to talk to her and him racing down the stairs to try to reach her before she left... I got heart palpitations over it.

Secondly, I think this show did have its heart in the right place but the gender politics left a lot to be desired imo which drags it down. I looooooooooove that the show encourages Qin Rui, Shu Jing, Yu Le, and the other women who work in the court to be ambitious and lets them be three dimensional, but the women who are defendants/plaintiffs.... not so much. A lot of these cases were uhhhhhhhhh Rough to sit through to say the least. One of the first cases is a woman who learns her husband has been cheating on her and in a breakdown upon seeing photos, she starts screaming about how she wants a divorce, just to have a meltdown about the idea of being single and insisting she wants to stay married the second she leaves the courtroom. Another case of a woman being sued by her two step sons bc they want money after their father's death, and yet another similar one of a daughter who is being sued by her two brothers bc their father died when she tried to rush him to the hospital on her bike — in both these situations, the woman is okay with losing absolutely everything to preserve the honor of the deceased. There's another case near the end of the show where an older woman is being conned by a younger man and he tells her to her face that he initiated their relationship bc he wanted her money and she starts screaming about how "if you leave me, I will have no reason to keep living." There's also the last case of an elderly couple where the man wanted to get divorced after learning their adult child was not biologically his and he's just a rude bastard who treats her awfully and she just played dutiful caretaker to him and was miserable about the idea of the divorce being finalized. Like the women were reduced to either their lives revolving around their romantic partner or being a caretaker OR they were demonized for not falling into those expectations (i.e. the vapid social influencer mom who abused her kid that got repeatedly embarrassed by the narrative). Like, as a lesbian who has decentered men from my life, I have just deconstructed to the point where seeing this kind of mentality is unbearable.

The case that troubled me the most though was Tongtong, a csa survivor. Tongtong is, UNDERSTANDABLY, very traumatized and doesn't know who she can trust after being attacked. Her memories of the rape are also jumbled (as is very common for traumatic incidents) and she remembers a red mark on her attacker's neck, and also seeing a red mark on the neck of another man earlier on the day of the attack, so she jumps to the conclusion that that man was her attacker. This is fair and understandable. But imo the show treats her as very irrational, especially when the writers have her kidnap a child in an attempt to pressure the man she believes assaulted her into confessing his crime. And it doesn't help that as soon as her true attacker is arrested, she's only ever mentioned again in reference to how her accusation derailed the life of the man she accused. (Also the actual rapist............. I saw that reveal coming. The twist reveal that a victim trusts their perpetrator is tired. Unless we're actually interrogating how rape culture is enabled by society, I don't want to see this trope anymore.)

Also while I *did* like that the show encouraged the women working as judges and lawyers to prioritize their jobs... I don't exactly love how some of the women were written. At the start I really really really liked Shu Jing, but the last third of the show completely ruined her character for me. As soon as Tongtong's case is closed and the true rapist is arrested, Shu Jing latches onto the idea of her husband (the man Tongtong had accused) returning to being a judge and tries to force him to go back to that work. It's very obvious that he enjoys running his small restaurant and her ignoring his feelings and the way she discusses his job comes off as extremely classist and that she views working at a restaurant as 'beneath him'. This vibe of her being elitist just grows with the final case of a woman who wants to divorce her husband and get custody of their three children bc he is very neglectful, and Shu Jing wants to separate the kids because she thinks the mother's job in social media is too unstable and she can't be relied on to care for all three children on her own... despite the kids making it very clear they want to be with their mom (and as if ppl don't just suddenly lose their jobs regardless of industry all the time.... why is she so confident the father's income is so stable?). Imo the show doesn't even resolve her mentality, Shu Jing just injures herself and her husband is very attentive to her while she's recovering (even tho they've signed divorce papers) and she's just like 'well, I shouldn't have been trying to force you and actually I don't want to get divorced.' Like. Ok.... also now that I've mentioned that I am realizing that this show seems to be very against divorce which is... weird and feels a little nefarious tbh.

I'm sure I have more thoughts I could add but I've probably covered enough of my grievances lol. TLDR; the romance was pretty cute. I think the show had good intentions but missed the mark w its politics.

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Waste of talents

The drama actually has a good storyline and a lot of potential, but unfortunately, they completely mess it up with the way they handle the story. In the end, the whole thing feels like one big joke.

What bothers me the most is the constant over-the-top acting, especially from that one character who always behaves like an insane person. Even in serious situations, he never seems to change his behaviour. A little humour here and there is fine, and some scenes genuinely make you laugh, but when almost every situation is turned into a joke, it becomes exhausting rather than entertaining.

And honestly, I wouldn't even call this a proper comedy. It's more like a collection of lame jokes. Take Welcome to Waikiki, for example. That's what I call a comedy drama. It makes you laugh from beginning to end, but at the same time, it knows when to slow down and deliver emotional moments. Even as a comedy, it has so many scenes that genuinely touch your heart.

Unfortunately, this drama fails to find that balance. It doesn't make me laugh consistently, nor does it make me feel emotionally invested. The acting doesn't help either. I honestly don't know what to say about it.

Overall, a disappointing watch. It had the potential to be so much better, but the execution ruined it. I wouldn't recommend it. What a waste of time.

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WOW! i wanna fly like queen!!!

I did not want to watch it because i thought a title like 'remarried empress' sounds too soapy!!!

But OMG did the first episode reveal a fantasy realm with the right pace and intrigue😍 promising maybe an epic finale?
Usually the first episode is not spoiler but the way it unravelled, it was such a beautiful surprise.
it can be a bit theatrical, but it's well supported by the great cast!!

by episode 4 i was really surprised how nice the story is, how the dialogue is written, how each character is more 3D...
and the Empress! Waw! it may be Shin min Ah's best role! she has incredible queen energy and that smile. I love when the character is so well played: Her smile is an imagery itself, as a viewer, we wait to see her composure, her smile, but we also wait for that crack underneath.

I love how the relationship is building between the Main leads: the male lead has a positive influence on our FL and i think the green flags are good enough!! ( despite a few questionable elements) .

ML role is very interesting and all i can say is that this show has a lot of good word plays on the word queen!

i thought the background music is too present,( also similar to 100 days of deception?) but the complete silences where at the right time!

this is only 10 episodes, indicating maybe a tight storyline because I don't want the show to fall into tropes and loose the plot!
because i am really enjoying this kdrama!!!
give it a chance if you want to discover a unique world and queen, not just a palace!

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Sometimes the platonic relationship is the better story.

I had to drop this drama because the writers just had to make things weird. Da-rim and Seon-u could have been one of the best platonic duos in K-drama history without introducing sexual tension or one-sided romantic feelings.

What made their relationship special to me was the connection Da-rim had with his child. She genuinely loved and cared for the child, and I thought that was the bridge that brought her and Seon-u together. It would have been beautiful to watch a relationship built on mutual respect, friendship, and a shared love for a child without having to turn it into romance.

I also got the impression that Seon-u felt that because Da-rim loved his child so much, building a relationship with her wouldn’t be difficult. But why does every meaningful connection between a man and a woman have to lead to romance? Sometimes friendship, trust, and genuine affection are enough.

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Frustrating, confusing, and goes nowhere

Look, I actually enjoy infidelity plots when they’re done well. Cheating is undoubtedly wrong but in real life there can be so many other factors playing into how a relationship gets to that point. Getting to explore emotional nuance with flawed characters is a good thing and I really want more dramas to be brave enough to explore these themes. One show that I really liked is a Taiwanese drama called Before We Get Married.

This one actually started out really strong. The characters separate very early on and basically outright state the issue in their relationship. They had known each other for so long and there was so much baggage and emotional suppression because of everything they’d been through together. I liked the addition of the side characters as well, who both added really interesting dynamics into the story: the hoobae at work who reminds the ML of a younger FL and of a simpler time, the lawyer with questionable morals who sees right through the FL and makes her feel more understood than her partner of ten years…this was all INTERESTING.

But the drama got really confusing as it went on — I’m not sure if it was just me but the arguments that all the characters kept having were either very repetitive or so vague I had no idea what they were really fighting about.

One thing was very clear though; the drama wasn’t delivering on the emotional depth I was hoping for. Even though it started out with an interesting dynamic between the leads, conflicts soon devolved into the leads just seeing each other with their new partners and the situation becoming awkward or uncomfortable. I think there’s definitely a way that this can be done well if the second leads are effective mechanisms for the leads to explore more things about themselves but also have their own character growth and plot, but I don’t think this drama was quite successful at either. I found myself not caring about any of the subplots the second leads were involved in — not the potato stuff with the SFL, nor the lawyer stuff with the SML. Same with all the other side characters and family members. I just didn’t really care.

Ultimately I think the show misses the mark on multiple genres; it doesn’t work as a melodrama because none of the emotion or the angst manages to come through, and for me it doesn’t work as a romance because by the end it doesn’t feel like any of the characters should actually be together. Namgung/Mido was very unhealthy, Namgung/Sua lacked depth and I really disliked how the writers destroyed her by basically making her okay with being a mistress, and it seemed like Mido completely lost her spark once she and Taesung got into a relationship. Y’all…we need writers to do better when it comes to writing female characters.

Overall, lots of potential but definitely did not pan out. I think this show tried to be too deep and ended up confusing itself. I feel like I can still see the potential here and I enjoyed the earlier episodes so I'm not rating it as low as others seem to, but it does feel like the show had no idea what to do with any of its characters.

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ok drama !

I hadn't done my review yet, but I'm going to give it a very good cast for a bad execution. The story kind of goes in circles, it's boring, but seeing Xu Kai in this drama is worth it. He's wonderful in the action scenes, he shows potential, he has presence. Our female protagonist is good, they have chemistry. The story isn't the best, but it's an okay drama. You'll have fun, and it has wonderful action and death scenes. The choreography is incredible, the OST and sets are well done, solid acting, plenty of steamy scenes for those who like to know, chemistry too, and tension as well.

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good drama !

Well, I had given it a 9 up to episode 20/21, but after that final stretch I didn't really like how rushed it was, and the ending, even though our protagonists end up together, still felt empty. Anyway, it's an 8.5 for me overall, and it's in my top 10, but it could have been better executed. Youku cut so much from this drama and left cuts for people to watch on the paid platform, and this drama definitely deserved a few more episodes. 30 episodes is too few; it should have had around 36/40 to explain this rushed final stretch. Overall, watch it, it's a great drama with a happy ending for those who watch dramas just for that reason, lol. I highly recommend it; the actors have great chemistry and the story is good.

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I wasn't expecting to cry

The goodbye message had me crying through the whole thing; Kim Nam Gil's emotional acting in that scene was impactful & it was my favorite moment of the movie. Even though this scene made me cry, I have to say the characters themselves were the weakest point. There were a lot of characters, and you don't get any time to actually get to know them, not even the main characters, and some of the characters didn't even have names.

Before that message, I honestly found most of the characters insufferable, especially in the first 20-30 minutes of the movie. That wasn't a good sign, but with these kinds of movies, people can change on a dime, so I didn't let it deter me from finishing the movie. I also hate when series and movies have too many stupid characters, and this one had so many. I don't think a few of them were able to think logically at all. I've never worked with nuclear power before, and never want to, but I'm smart enough to know when to listen to someone who knows what they are talking about over a person who is just worried about containing the media & saving money. You are messing with NUCLEAR power. That isn't something that you try to cut corners on. You can't slap a band-aid on it and fit it. Morons.

Also, I don't know how the other countries found out about it so quickly, but I'm going to be honest: I don't think the USA would be worried about any citizens who could be affected by what was happening. Maybe someone very high up would be warned, but I wouldn't expect them to inform normal citizens. That's a horrible thing to say about my own country, I know, but I also don't think I'm wrong.

Overall, it was a good movie that I would watch again.

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A gripping start, an unsettling end....

The beginning of this drama genuinely had me hooked. There's something about the way it introduces its concept that immediately makes you curious. The setup, the rules, the mystery surrounding the entire game everything makes you want to keep watching just to find out what happens next. I kept wondering where things were heading and how far everything would eventually go.

But as the story progresses, the experience becomes increasingly unsettling...

What initially seems like an intriguing survival game gradually unfolds into something much darker, crueler and more disturbing. The desperation, greed, manipulation and brutality are difficult to overlook. It shows just how far people can go when money, power and survival become their priorities. Morality starts taking a back seat, and the entire idea of trust becomes questionable.

In a way, there's an uncomfortable reality behind it all. You never really know who is on your side, how quickly someone can turn against you or what a person might be capable of when their own interests are involved. The drama brings out some rather ugly aspects of human behaviour, and not always in an easy-to-watch way.

Personally, I'm not someone who enjoys excessive cruelty or brutality, so I can't say I liked everything this drama put me through. And what happened to Floor 1 was particularly difficult for me to accept. I genuinely didn't like the way things turned out for him. It was one of those moments that stayed with me because of how unsettling the whole situation felt.

As much as the concept kept me curious, I did feel that the storytelling gradually lost some of the strength it had at the beginning. There came a point when I was more interested in finding out how everything would end than actually enjoying what was happening along the way.

And the ending... WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN?

I had been somewhat suspicious of Floor 7 from the beginning, but the final revelation still left me sitting there thinking, WHAT DID I JUST WATCH? The screenplay element completely changes the way you look at everything that came before it. It made me question the entire experience. Did all of this actually happen, or was it simply a story being written and presented? What was real, and what was part of the script? I found myself questioning everything rather than feeling like I had received any proper closure.

I don't think I've completely settled on how I feel about that ending. It left me with a rather strange, almost bewildered feeling, and quite a few questions.

Overall, I wouldn't call it a bad drama. It has a distinctive concept, an intriguing beginning and some uncomfortable ideas about human nature, greed and survival. However, I wish the execution had been stronger and that the story had maintained the same level of curiosity and engagement it created in its opening episodes. The further it progressed, the less I found myself enjoying it. I appreciate what it was trying to portray, but the overall execution just didn't work for me as much as I had hoped...😔

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